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100030

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Bahrain
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Bahrain in respect of the charges against Nabeel Rajab and Zainab al Khawaja.
tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
uin	HL2236
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>Our Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain has raised both cases with the Government of Bahrain and emphasised the importance of ensuring that due legal process is respected and international norms of justice adhered to. We will continue to monitor both cases closely.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 28/10/2014 16:37:04 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

100033

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the peace-building and reconciliation work of Parents Circle/Bereaved Families Forum in Palestine and Israel; and whether they provide any financial help to it or to its United Kingdom charitable partner Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL2239
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The work of this organisation, and its emphasis on the importance of reconciliation to achieve peace, appears laudable.</p><p>While Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have met with their partner organisation (the Friends of Bereaved Families Forum), we do not provide financial support to either of the groups.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 28/10/2014 16:38:09 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

100034

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Unmanned Air Vehicles
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to support the formulation of United Nations guidance on the application of human rights law to drone use.
tabling member printed	Lord Judd
uin	HL2240
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government believes that international law on the use of military force is absolutely clear. There must be a lawful basis for such force to be used and activities must be conducted in accordance with the law of war or international humanitarian law. This is as true when considering the possible use of remotely piloted aircraft systems as it is with any other military asset or weapon. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems are a relatively new military asset, and their use, whether armed or unarmed, will continue to evolve. However, the existing international legal framework is clear and robust; and, as with any other weapons system, it is fully capable of governing their use. We do not need to rewrite the laws of war in order to be confident that, when used in such lawful circumstances, remotely piloted aircraft systems operate in the same legal environment as other military means. We have set this position out previously including at the UN Human Rights Council in response to the report of the Special Rapporteur.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 28/10/2014 16:39:08 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

100070

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Pakistan
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan concerning the relationship between blasphemy laws there and that country's human rights commitments, particularly in the light of the Lahore High Court’s decision to uphold the death penalty passed against Asia Bibi.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
uin	HL2276
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>We regularly raise at the highest levels Pakistan’s human rights commitments including the misuse of blasphemy laws both against Muslims and against religious minorities. We are concerned to hear about the case of Asia Bibi and reports that a court has upheld the imposition of the death penalty. We have consistently pressed the Government of Pakistan on the issue of the death penalty and expressed our principled opposition to it in all cases and we will ensure that we continue to do so.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 28/10/2014 16:42:19 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

100082

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	UK Export Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what proportion of successful applicants to the UK Export Finance direct lending facility have been small and medium-sized enterprises in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Ann McKechin
uin	211319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>UK Export Finance’s direct lending facility was launched in 2013-14. It was recently amended to make it more readily accessible, and has recently completed its first deal.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 16:01:54 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1419 label Biography information for Ann McKechin

100090

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking and is planning on taking to invest in training and apprenticeships in the UK steel industry given Tata Steel's recent announcement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	211386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to a healthy and growing steel industry in the UK and as part of this we are supporting the development of skills in the sector.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are funding over 100 postgraduate research students working on Tata projects, over 250 apprentices and directly offering over £2 million for direct training of staff.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>To boost the pool of potential engineers, Government is making a series of interventions, including £30 million in funding for employers to bid for to address engineering skills shortages in sectors with specific needs and an £18 million investment in a new National College at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Total numbers of apprentices starting apprenticeships in the Engineering and Manufacturing Sector stood at 42,520 in 2009/10 which grew to 66,410 in 2012/13.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 16:19:42 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

100091

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is (a) taking and (b) planning to take to increase investment in the UK steel industry given Tata Steel's recent announcement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	211387
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills met the global head of Tata in India on 14th October, who re-affirmed his company's commitment to the British steel industry and to investing substantially in Port Talbot and strip steel.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Working within EU rules, we are implementing a £7billion package of measures to address energy costs including £3billion to compensate energy intensive businesses for the impact of policy costs in their electricity bills.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government has offered just over £12.7 million in funding through the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) for the £22 million Proving Factory, which specialises in the industrialisation and low-volume production of advanced propulsion systems to automotive standards. Tata Steel is a key partner in this project, which is already producing commercial products.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Rounds 1 to 5 of the RGF have supported 430 projects and programmes across England – allocating £2.9 billion of government support. We project this to deliver 573,000 jobs and £16 billion of private investment between now and the mid-2020s.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The 2014 Budget doubled the annual investment allowance to £500,000 until the end of 2015. Government has also cut corporation tax from 28% to 21% - it will fall to 20% next year, the joint lowest rate in the G20, making Britain one of the most attractive places to invest and do business.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 16:03:20 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

100094

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Low Pay
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent steps the Government has taken to reduce the number of people in work who are in poverty.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	211364
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>Work is the best route out of poverty. Universal Credit allows people who work to keep more of the money that they earn by introducing work allowances, which, in most cases, are more generous than the current system. The Department for Work and Pensions estimates that 2.4 million working families will be better off, potentially by £167 per month, as a result of Universal Credit. Furthermore, additional support for childcare costs for families on Universal Credit will see 500,000 working families getting more out of the money they earn.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Dunbartonshire answering member printed Jo Swinson question first answered 28/10/2014 15:36:24 answering member 1513 label Biography information for Jo Swinson
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

100101

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
hansard heading	Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to support British manufacturing firms with an interest in the UK steel industry given Tata Steel's recent announcement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
uin	211385
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>We are supporting and encouraging the Metals Sector, through the Metals Forum (an umbrella group of Trade Associations), on the development of a Metals Strategy; this will bring Metals into line with other important Foundation Industries such as Electronics and Chemicals which have already published strategies. This is expected to be published by the Metals Sector next spring.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Steel industry is strong in the UK, having achieved 23% growth in output since 2010[1], and has a sustainable long term future. High technology industries such as aerospace, automotive and construction all require high value, continually improving steel products in order to remain competitive.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government works closely with the steel industry on a range of issues related to maintaining an internationally competitive steel sector in the UK. However, the EU State Aid rules limit what direct help can be offered to steel companies - R&amp;D, environmental protection and some training can be supported, but not operational aid.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] Source - Iron &amp; Steel Statistics Bureau (ISSB) .</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 28/10/2014 16:18:23 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

100106

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Defence
answering dept id	11
answering dept short name	Defence
answering dept sort name	Defence
hansard heading	Defence: Procurement
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which freedoms and flexibilities the bidders for Managed Service Providers in the Ministry of Defence DE and S have been granted.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Moor View
tabling member printed	Alison Seabeck
uin	211274
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2014 answer text <p>When Defence Equipment and Support (DE&amp;S) became a bespoke trading entity on 1 April 2014 it was given a broad range of freedoms, agreed by HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, to allow it to manage its business, outputs and workforce within an operating cost envelope set to drive significant efficiencies. The bidders for the Managed Service Provider work packages are not granted freedoms and flexibilities; they are being procured via standard commercial practices to provide tailored external skills to support DE&amp;S as it uses its freedoms to transform and to deliver the equipment programme.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Ludlow answering member printed Mr Philip Dunne question first answered 28/10/2014 16:42:36 answering member 1542 label Biography information for Philip Dunne
tabling member	1552 label Biography information for Alison Seabeck